Monday’s Monument: Children of the World Dream of Peace, Denver, Colorado

Located in the Jeppesen Terminal of the Denver International Airport, Leo Tanguma’s “Children of the World Dream of Peace” is a powerful mural expressing the artist’s desire to abolish violence in society. One section of the piece speaks to the tragedy and devastation of war and its impact on humanity. The mural then moves on to images of smiling children, dressed in traditional folk costumes from around the world, celebrating peace prevailing over war. The Denver airport, since its construction, has been the focus of conspiracy theories, some of which center on (mis)reading two murals by Tanguma. The other, called “In Peace and Harmony with Nature,” references the social realist murals of Mexico while addressing a modern theme: the destruction of the environment. The first half of the mural shows children displaying great sadness over the destruction and extinction of life, as the second half of the artwork depicts humanity coming together to rehabilitate and celebrate nature.